Peerless in the West: Tachibana Muneshige (Part 2)

"Lord Tachibana Muneshige, sneaking into another country to sabotage it doesn't suit your status."

Sarutobi Hiruzen leaped down from the roof, landing directly on the still-humming Ruyi Jingu Bang.

Danzo bit his lip, clutching his forearm, and jumped back, cold sweat pouring down his face.

Tachibana Muneshige flicked his long sword, beckoned with his hand, and the short sword returned to his grasp with a whistling sound.

Tachibana Muneshige laughed heartily, "Haha! I had no choice. That person asked me to come and die, so I had to come.

Youngster, coming to Konoha wasn't my wish, I was forced to come." Tachibana Muneshige spoke to Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, in the casual tone of a neighbor chatting.

Accompanying the Third Hokage were Orochimaru and many Anbu.

Mitarai Zixiao was rapidly scribbling in a notebook.

Ninja who arrived one after another whispered amongst themselves. One Jonin said in disbelief, "No way, that scale was from a child?"

Another Jonin whispered, "It's absolutely true, I saw it with my own eyes!"

The blond man with the sword tore off a large piece of his clothing, roughly bandaged his wound, and then tied his kunai to his already deformed left hand!

At this moment, an Anbu ninja approached Asuma, attempting to bandage him, but Asuma refused to let go of the corpse.

The Anbu simply shook his head and began to bandage Asuma.

"Come, junior, give this old man a glorious defeat." Tachibana Muneshige's eyes flicked upward as he spoke loudly, flicking his blood-stained long sword with a flourish.

"Hmph, Hiruzen, you're too slow." Danzo said to Sarutobi Hiruzen only after he had finished bandaging his injured arm.

"Ah, I apologize, senior. I'm coming."

The Third Hokage ignored Danzo, simply nodded at Tachibana Muneshige, and prepared to attack!

Sarutobi Hiruzen crouched slightly, then leaped forward, landing lightly. He casually grabbed the Ruyi Jingu Bang with his right hand and charged at Tachibana Muneshige.

Danzo pursed his lips, pulled out a kunai, and also charged at Tachibana Muneshige.

Everyone else retreated far away. If these three started fighting, lives could be lost in an instant.

Jiraiya and Shimura Yujin, with red eyes, charged towards another man.

Gamaken had already returned; the current environment was not conducive to Gamaken's performance.

Orochimaru glanced at Asuma, who was sobbing uncontrollably, then at Hyuga, who seemed a bit dazed, and pouted, showing no intention of helping Jiraiya.

Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo attacked side-by-side, while Tachibana Muneshige slowly raised his long sword.

Sarutobi Hiruzen swung his staff, and Tachibana Muneshige blocked with his long sword before sidestepping Danzo's kunai thrust, then kicked Danzo with his right leg.

Danzo dodged to the right, and Sarutobi Hiruzen's staff, coming from the left, attacked again from the position Danzo had just vacated.

Tachibana Muneshige's kick missed, and he naturally dodged to the side. Sarutobi Hiruzen, his attack having missed, pursued with his staff.

Tachibana Muneshige took half a step back, then charged forward again, placing his left hand on his short sword and gripping his long sword with his right. The three formed a triangular formation.

Tachibana Muneshige's eyes sharpened, he put a little force into his feet, and faint chakra spread across his arms.

Tachibana Muneshige shouted, "Ninjutsu, Crescent Moon Slash."

He spun his body with the short sword in his left hand and the long sword in his right, forming two semicircular slashes, one high and one low, one large and one small, resembling two halves of a crescent moon.

The Third Hokage frowned. With a clang, he blocked the long sword with the Ruyi Jingu Bang and leaped back.

Danzo raised his kunai to block, but it was instantly severed by the short sword. Danzo's face turned ashen, his small eyes narrowed into slits, and he flipped to dodge.

Seizing the opportunity, Tachibana Muneshige spun his long sword and slashed horizontally at the disarmed Danzo.

Danzo retreated and dodged desperately. Tachibana Muneshige followed with two more slashes, which Danzo narrowly avoided by dodging and parrying.

After landing from a backflip, the Third Hokage formed a hand seal, and with a bang, two shadow clones appeared on his left and right, quickly forming hand seals.

Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet.

Fire Style: Great Fireball.

The Third Hokage himself formed hand seals and released ninjutsu, Wind Style: Wind Chasing Fang!

Combined Ninjutsu: Wind Fireball.

As soon as the ninjutsu was unleashed, Danzo, who had been struggling, suddenly changed his demeanor.

Danzo placed his middle and index fingers together at his chest and shouted, "Open!"

With a roar, a gust of wind erupted from beneath his feet. Danzo rapidly ascended and leaped back, dodging the incoming slashes and landing steadily on the already partially destroyed earth wall. It turned out he had only been feigning weakness.

In an instant, the Third Hokage's combined ninjutsu arrived. Tachibana Muneshige immediately abandoned pursuing Danzo, turned around, and with a pull, joined the hilts of his long and short swords, transforming them back into a spear. He shouted, "Ninjutsu, Dragonfly Cross Slash."

Swish, swish, two slashes, one vertical and one horizontal, instantly formed, slicing the Third Hokage's combined ninjutsu directly in half. Only scattered flames hit Tachibana Muneshige.

Before Tachibana Muneshige could even catch his breath after shaking his beard, the Third Hokage's attack arrived again.

The Third Hokage crouched slightly, gathering power, then leaped high, swinging his staff down. Tachibana Muneshige raised his spear to block.

With a clang, a wave spread out, making the ears of the nearby Jonin ring.

With a boom, a dilapidated house nearby was directly shaken down.

The Third Hokage followed up with a front kick, striking Tachibana Muneshige in the chest. However, Tachibana Muneshige was prepared and used the force to leap backward without taking much impact.

Danzo, having just landed on the dirt wall, his eyes flashed with cold light. Biting his lip to endure the pain in his forearm, he quickly began to form hand seals.

Wind Release: Severing Air Wave!

The wind blades, too fast for the eye to see, attacked. Tachibana Muneshige, floating in mid-air with nowhere to dodge, could only twist his body to evade. With a swish, the wind blade cut through the band holding his hair.

Just as Tachibana Muneshige landed, the Third Hokage's staff swept towards him again.

Tachibana Muneshige, his hair disheveled, spun his body. His spear, held at his waist, spun rapidly along with him.

With a clang, it precisely struck the Third Hokage's Ruyi Jingu Bang. The Ruyi Jingu Bang was knocked aside by the high-speed spinning spear, leaving his chest wide open!

Tachibana Muneshige's eyes flashed with brilliance. He pulled with his right hand and lifted with his left, transforming the spear into two blades. The long blades slashed towards the Third Hokage's chest.

A flash of blade light flickered in the Third Hokage's eyes. With a bang, the long blades struck a wooden post.

The Third Hokage appeared on the dirt wall, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Danzo.

It was the Substitution Jutsu Wood that Danzo had retrieved from the Sealing Scroll, still beside him.

As quick as lightning, though in reality, it was merely the span of a lightning strike!

The Third Hokage took out three shuriken and threw them, then both he and Danzo began forming hand seals.

Ninjutsu: Wind Release Shuriken!

Ninjutsu: Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!

The three shuriken transformed into a torrent of Wind Release shuriken, flying towards Tachibana Muneshige from all directions.

Perhaps this was the reason this jutsu was developed. This display was worthy of an S-rank.

Tachibana Muneshige watched the swarm of buzzing Wind Release shuriken flying towards him, his eyes narrowing. He sheathed his twin blades, stood still, and gripped his sword hilts, beginning to gather power.

Tachibana Muneshige's silver-white hair danced, and ripples spread outwards from him like waves.

"Haaah, Secret Technique: Sword Draw!"

Tachibana Muneshige shouted, and a flash of golden light erupted from his body, sending a massive ring-shaped wave in all directions.

Orochimaru's pupils contracted. He grabbed Hanzō and Asuma and instantly retreated.

A buzzing sound was heard. After the slash, the sky was clear and the earth bright. Everything in its path was severed, and the ground was cleared.

Orochimaru fled with Hanzō and Asuma without looking back.

When it was late into the night, Danzo, wrapped in bandages and smelling of medicine, finally returned home.

It seemed Tachibana Muneshige had likely met a grim fate.

For some reason, even though Hanzō had been attacked and his guards killed, he didn't hate the old man known as Tachibana Muneshige. The impression he left on Hanzō was one of deep respect and longing.